ON Monday, Scottland FC owner Pedzisai “Scott” Sakupwanya appeared in a video released by the club, promising to reward his team’s players handsomely if they can deliver a win against DZ Royals today.
The prize: A US$200 bonus for each goal that the team scores and US$1 500 to each player if they score at least five goals.
The stakes are high as Sakupwanya wants his team to harness a siege mentality over what is left of the season as they seek to topple MWOS, who are top of the tree.
There are still four matches to go in the Northern Region Division One League.
A slip-up for either of the two protagonists could ruin their chances of promotion into the topflight.
Scottland and MWOS have been involved in a fascinating and tight race for the sole ticket to promotion and it is obvious that Sakupwanya wants to win it.
The raw passion of the two sets of fans has helped fuel the gripping contest.
These are life-changing sums of money that are being dangled before the players, each getting US$1 000 as winning bonus on top of their monthly salaries, probably the fattest pay packet in the country for the game.
We have seen big-name footballers ending their careers with nothing to show for it.
Kudos to the gold dealer, considering that lately, his name has been in the news for the wrong reasons.
Mired in match-fixing controversies in the past few weeks, Sakupwanya has moved to fill the pockets of his players so that they can up their game and win matches that matter.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if well remunerated, players can perform to their optimum, rather than sending proxies to influence match outcomes.
What makes everything more enthralling is the fact that only the goal difference separates the teams with four games to go.
The gesture by Sakupwanya is commendable, considering that even many of the Premier League’s players lead miserable lives.
According to club left-back, Ronald Pfumbidzai, many players in their league are struggling to make ends meet and such a gesture by the well-oiled proprietor creates a door to change lives for the players.
Such a move also raises the bar in terms of player remuneration.
This should force other clubs to up the ante and pay their players and technical teams well.
Football should be a source of decent income and players should be able to live a decent life from their employment.
Just yesterday, we ran a story where Dynamos coach Lloyd “MaBlanyo” Chigowe admitted that it was increasingly becoming more difficult to get high-profile players for big clubs such as his, or Caps United or Highlanders because the players are flocking to the new clubs whose owners had deep pockets.
Chigowe said Dynamos wanted the services of Khama Billiat, Obriel Chirinda and Walter Musona, but they ended up losing the trio to Yadah, Ngezi Platinum Stars and Simba Bhora, respectively, as the three clubs made better offers for the players.
Football is business and the proprietors should take it as such.
Gone should be the days when players go for weeks without getting their winning bonuses or salaries as they also have families to look after.
Gone should be the days when proprietors send their acolytes to fix matches.
Last week, Northern Region Soccer League outfit Norton Community FC suspended five members following a match-fixing scandal that emerged after a 7-0 loss to Premier League hopefuls Scottland FC at Rufaro Stadium.
The Norton club conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, before goalkeeper Brandon Bere was shown a red card, with indications that Bere was offered a US$300 bribe by one of the team’s executive members, allegedly on behalf of Scottland FC.
Football should be entertaining; it should be sporty. Zimbabweans want to enjoy the most popular game of sport without a blemish.
